The just completed legislative session may have filled headlines with the drama of arrests and changing leadership, but for me and most of my colleagues the focus remained on fighting for our districts and passing good laws to benefit the people of New York State. Advocating for our students and schools, protecting our rich farmland, supporting the growing agricultural sector, standing up for our veterans, and pushing for meaningful ethics reform were among my priorities and we made some real strides over the six month session.

On the education front, we elected an outstanding new Regent, Judith Johnson, to represent Dutchess County on the re-energized Board of Regents and brought more than $245 million to our local schools–a $9.6 million increase over last year. We delivered mandate relief to private and parochial schools in the district and passed legislation I co-sponsored (A.7303-A) that addresses concerns over teacher evaluations and high-stakes testing; extends the deadline for the Regents to adopt and implement a new teacher evaluation system; delinks increases in school aid from implementation; creates a new content review committee to ensure standardized test questions are fair and grade-level appropriate; and gives teachers access to materials to better prepare.

I’m proud that three bills I authored that support local agriculture passed both houses and now await the governor’s signature. These establish a toll tax credit for small to mid-sized farms transporting goods on the Thruway to markets (A.2414); help new farmers gain access to prime farmland (A.2369); and evaluate the needs of aging farmers (A.5153). We secured $20 million specifically to protect farmland in the Hudson Valley, as well as funding for the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program, Beginning Farmers NY Fund and Taste NY program.

To make sure all veterans are recognized equally, I authored and passed legislation that ensures veterans of more recent conflicts in the Middle East and the Global War on Terror receive all appropriate property tax exemptions (A.2368-A). Additionally, I co-sponsored the Veterans Equality Act to expand the New York State public pension credit for all veterans (A.8174-A), and secured $350,000 for the Veterans Entrepreneurial Assistance Program.

I am frankly very disappointed that more wasn’t accomplished in the area of meaningful ethics and campaign finance reform. Since I first ran, I have pushed to substantively address the distrust that current policies foment. This year alone was reason to start breaking down the ethical cloud hanging over us and restore public confidence in state government. The LLC loophole legislation, which I co-sponsored, passed in the Assembly (A.6975-B) but was never brought to a vote in the Senate. This bill, which addressed the aggregate amount of political contributions a limited liability company can make in a year, would help curb the corrupting influence of money in elections and dismantle the power of special interests. The pension forfeiture amendment, keeping elected officials convicted of a felony from collecting their taxpayer funded pension (A.4643-A), was passed in both houses, but in different versions that will need to be reconciled next year, and then passed in a subsequent session before being brought to the public for a November vote.

Clearly, there’s more work to be done in Albany. As your full-time legislator, I am committed to advocating for issues important to the Hudson Valley. I hope you will continue to share your thoughts and concerns. As always, please don’t hesitate to contact our office in Poughkeepsie (845-454-1703), Hudson (518-828-1961) or via e-mail at barrettd@assembly.state.ny.us, if we can be helpful to you.

A friend recently commented about my Assembly District, saying “I know you have MANY communities!” and she is right. The Hudson Valley is rich with the sense of community, and that’s one of the things I truly love about this region. In representing 19 different towns — and one city — I share in all those communities and get to know the interesting, innovative, engaged people who live there.

One of the region’s most unique and charming communities is the hamlet of Staatsburg, in the northern corner of the Town of Hyde Park. Reminiscent of an English village that surrounds a great estate, Staatsburg is home to 400 proud residents; the pioneering Anderson Center for Autism; the storybook Staatsburg Library; the verdant Dinsmore Golf Course; and the majestic Mills Mansion, the gilded era country home of Ogden Mills and Ruth Livingston Mills and the riverfront Mills-Norrie State Park which together make up the Staatsburgh State Historic Site.

On a recent Saturday, we started our day in Staatsburg at the Anderson Center, which was hosting Autism Tomorrow, a one-day conference that brought together more than 100 experts and advocates to discuss current issues surrounding autism spectrum disorder, as well as changes in research and public perception. Among the highlights was a talk by Dr. Paul Wang, MD, the head of medical research at Autism Speaks.

The little hamlet was also host to dozens of volunteers for I Love My Park Day, an annual event held each spring where 95 New York State Parks and Historic Sites across the state welcome thousands of volunteers to join in cleanup, beautification and improvement projects to help our local parks recover from the hard, cold winter and prepare for the busy summer season ahead. It was great to see an eager group of Marist College students at the Mills Mansion site ready to tackle weeding, raking and mulching on a perfect spring day.

State parks and historic sites like those in Staatsburg can be significant drivers for the local economy. A regional report released last year titled “The Economic Importance of Great Estates Historic Sites and Parks,” identified $65 million in economic benefit from the historic homes along the Hudson River to Dutchess County alone. This translates to roughly $4 billion annually spent by tourists who come to the Hudson Valley to discover the region’s history, culture, cuisine, natural beauty, activities, charming villages, and stunning viewsheds.

Nonetheless, many sites, like Mills Mansion, struggle to stabilize the funding needed to protect museum-quality treasures, increase attendance by having adequate staff for regular tours and secure a viable future. The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, which oversees hundreds of state historic sites, state parks and campgrounds, has invested millions of dollars in capital improvements to the site over the last few years — $6.5 million to restore the grand portico and $14 million on rebuilding stone walls and other grounds work. But significantly more is needed to both maintain a site like this and support ongoing operations. While the monies raised by private donations and groups like the Friends of Mills Mansion help, the State continues to look for ways to ensure the site’s sustainability into the future, including public-private partnerships.

To this end, State Parks supported the introduction of legislation which proposes to increase the maximum length of leases they may offer to private partners from 20 to 40 years in an effort to attract greater investment. For the Staatsburgh site, this change would apply to the carriage barn, dairy barn, and mansion. These would join Hoyt House and its barns, and Ogden Mills and Ruth Livingston Mills state park, which already fall under 40 year lease terms. State Parks expects to put out an RFP within the next few months to assess potential investor interest.

To ensure the voices of neighbors, local leaders and other stakeholders are heard, my office and the office of Sen. Sue Serino are hosting a community information meeting with Commissioner Rose Harvey of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, on Wednesday, May 20, 2015 from 5 to 7 pm at the Danny Kaye Theater at the Culinary Institute of America, Campus Drive, Hyde Park, NY. We encourage everyone with an interest in the stewardship of this site to join us.

Staatsburgh State Historic Site is an extraordinary state and local resource that tells the story of a very colorful part of our region’s rich past. Everyone involved wants to ensure it is experienced by many more people now and into the future. As a former museum professional, I am committed to working towards the long-term sustainability of this very special piece of New York history without compromising the integrity of the historic home and its collections.

From major funding increases for local schools and higher education institutions to MTA payroll tax relief for Mid-Hudson libraries to ensuring the preservation of world-class farmland, the just-passed 2015-16 New York State Budget makes a significant commitment to the Hudson Valley’s future. This is the third state budget passed since I became a member of the New York State Assembly and I am proud to see that our advocacy is resulting in increased investment by New York State in our beautiful and vital Hudson Valley region.

Strong schools are essential to attracting economic development, as well of course, as their crucial role of educating our future leaders, and this year’s budget grows school aid by $9.6 million, or 4.1 percent, for schools in my district. This brings total education funding for schools in the 106th Assembly District this year to more than $245 million, part of a nearly $1.6 billion increase in education aid over last year across the state, including $70 million towards universal pre-kindergarten for upstate children.

The budget provides an additional $19.9 million for community colleges, increasing base aid by $100 per full-time equivalent (FTE) student, and including a 20 percent increase to opportunity programs. This will directly help both Columbia-Greene and Dutchess Community Colleges as they work to keep college affordable and train the Hudson Valley’s workforce for the jobs of tomorrow.

The final budget continues its commitment to the region’s booming agricultural industry, setting aside $20 million dollars to protect working farmland in the Hudson Valley. With plenty of water, outstanding soils, a burgeoning craft drinks industry — breweries,distilleries,cideries and wineries — as well as our growing number of vegetable, fruit, dairy and livestock farms, our agricultural sector has a bright future here in the Hudson Valley. But the region’s natural beauty, charm and proximity to NYC make it ripe for development and land values are far beyond what most beginning farmers can afford. These farmland preservation funds are essential not only for our local and state economy, but for homeland security to ensure New York families always have access to fresh, healthy local food to put on their tables.

We also successfully restored funding to important programs that benefit our region’s farms and farmers, including $1.9 million for farm viability, education and economic development; $1 million for infrastructure grants for the Beginning Farmers NY Fund; more than $700,000 for apple producers; $500,000 for low income seniors to shop at farmers markets; and $200,000 for hops and barley research.

Also of note is a $15 million increase in funding for the Environmental Protection Fund – for a total of $177 million – and a 10-year extension of the Brownfield Cleanup program, which encourages the redevelopment of contaminated properties. Further, in response to the alarming increase in the volume of crude oil being transported through the Hudson Valley via train and barge, the budget strengthens the Oil Spill Fund and authorizes $2.1 million to be used for prevention and cleanup. While we await federal action to mitigate this escalating risk, these funds are a step in the right direction.

For the second year, our office has secured significant state funds to help meet the increasing need for mental health services in Dutchess County following the closing of state facilities in recent years. This $3.5 million will help support integrated care and innovative initiatives like the proposed diversion program for those with addiction and mental health issues.

Upstate colleagues and I made a successful push to increase funding for upstate transit systems by $25 million this year. This aid will help improve services and ensure fiscal stability for organizations like the Dutchess County LOOP Bus System, which thousands of riders rely on each week to get to their jobs, school, doctors’ appointments and local stores. In addition, $200 million was put in the budget for the New York State Water Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2015 to assist cash-strapped municipalities in repairing and upgrading their wastewater and drinking water systems. The budget also maintains the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPs) at over $438 million and provides an additional $50 million for extreme weather recovery, much needed after this brutal winter.

In a further effort to jumpstart the upstate economy, this year’s budget provides $1.5 billion for the Upstate Revitalization Initiative. The initiative will focus on projects that strengthen, revitalize and grow infrastructure, communities, the workforce and tourism and will be run alongside the Regional Economic Development Councils process already in place. The upstate regions will compete for three top prizes of $500 million to be paid out over five years.

Feel free to call our office 845.454.1703 or email at barrett@assembly.state.ny.us for more information on any of these budget initiatives.

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“History is not just what happened in the past. It is what later generations choose to remember,” wrote historian and Harvard professor Laurel Thatcher Ulrich in her book Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History.

For too many years, the important roles women played throughout American history were not what later generations chose to remember. Historians, novelists, playwrights, filmmakers — who happened to be mostly men and mostly white — chronicled the exploits of mostly white men. Women’s stories remained buried in attics, inked in diaries and letters, and pressed in dusty period publications. They patiently waited to be found, explored and ultimately retold by women historians, novelists, playwrights and filmmakers.

In celebration of Women’s History Month 2015, and in collaboration with the Mid-Hudson Library System, our office is proud to present our second volume of Women’s History in the Hudson Valley: Ten Stories from Columbia and Dutchess Counties. We are committed to ensuring that the lives and deeds of the bold, smart, visionary women who came before us are remembered here today and passed on to fuel the dreams of future generations.

In this volume we have shared the stories of ten remarkable women with ties to our region who, well-behaved or not, made history. They were writers, editors, activists, scientists and public servants. They include: Sybil Luddington, born in 1761, who at the age of 16, rode her horse for over 40 miles (farther than Paul Revere) through the night to alert the local regiments to the approaching British troops; pioneering birth control advocate and social reformer Margaret Sanger who as a young woman, in 1896, came to Columbia County to attend Claverack College and the Hudson River Institute; and Franny Reese, who in the 1960s led the charge to protect our magnificent Hudson River Valley from Con Ed’s plans to build the world’s largest power plant on the face of iconic Storm King Mountain, at the same time helping launch the modern environmental movement.

Please visit your library and ask for a copy of the 2015 Women’s History in the Hudson Valley: Ten Stories from Columbia and Dutchess Counties to read about the extraordinary contributions these women have made to our community and country. And please share with us the names of other women in local Hudson Valley history for future volumes.

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As the conversation over funding for Universal Pre-Kindergarten continues in political circles and budget debates, our office is introducing legislation to assure that as we go forward, Pre-K programs, widely recognized as critical for educational equity, are truly universal and that three and four year olds with special needs are included in both the programming and in the funding.

This important state policy change would be a win-win-win that will improve educational and social outcomes for these children, create a smoother transition for families and school districts, and relieve our counties of millions of dollars of unfunded state mandates that they have shouldered for too long. In Dutchess County, for example, this would represent nearly $8.5 million in annual savings.

In 2012, some 80,000 three and four year olds received special education services in New York State, but not alongside their more developed peers. This is despite federal policy that provides that children with disabilities receive their education, to the maximum extent appropriate, with non-disabled peers. Research shows that ‘inclusion’ classrooms provide significant benefits for special needs students. They encourage developmental and intellectual success—sometimes to the point that kids grow out of their need for special services. The benefits extend to the classroom community, as well, allowing for greater understanding and tolerance of different abilities and learning styles from a very young age.

Today, New York state operates three different pre-kindergarten systems: One for special needs children based on determination by local school districts, administered through local health departments and paid for by county and state dollars; the second system, for mainstream 3- and 4-year-olds, is run by the State Education Department (SED) and funded by the school districts and the state; and the third is the private school system, largely parent financed. These multiple systems result in unequal, splintered and unbalanced service delivery to New York’s preschool children, especially those with special needs.

At the time this system of services was created, counties were promised the state would cover 75 percent of the costs of preschool education for 3- to 5-year-olds. However, the state never fulfilled this commitment. According to the New York State Association of Counties, our counties along with New York City, contribute 40.5 percent, which in 2014-15 translated to $710 million out of the $1.8 billion program, $260 million of which fell on the counties outside of New York City.

Pre-K services for children with special needs are the only piece of the education continuum that is run by counties and not by SED. As we set a goal of Universal Pre K, this is the right time for the Preschool Special Education program to be transferred to SED and local school districts and be fully funded in the next round of UPK funding. Counties are not equipped to, nor should they be required to, be in the business of educating our children.

New York State owes it to children of all abilities, and the families that love and nurture them, to ensure that their education is a priority worth funding.

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This weekend we held the ceremonial swearing-in for my second full term in the New York State Assembly. The following are my remarks following the oath.

Thank you all for being here today with me, my family and our team. We officially kick off my second full term as member of the New York State Assembly for the spectacularly beautiful, historically and culturally rich 106th Assembly District — which I am so very proud to represent and advocate for every single day.

And thank you for all your incredible efforts during our challenging re-election campaign, a hard-fought success during a very tough campaign season…..

…So…. nobody warned me that this public service business is most definitely not for the feint of heart!

The drama and the distractions of the last month, starting with the arrest of my opponent for sexual abuse and endangering a minor just weeks after he conceded, to the arrest this past week of Speaker Sheldon Silver on highly serious and troubling charges is simply stunning.

For me, this job continues to be first and foremost about our district in the extraordinary Hudson Valley, with its world class farmland and blooming agricultural and food sector; its stunning natural resources, from the majestic Hudson River to the many state and local parks; its diverse creative community reflected in the growing and vibrant performance and visual arts programs in all corners of the district; and the deep history that roots us in the past while growing our economy as the recent Great Estates study showed us by identifying some $65 million in economic benefit spurred by a dozen federal, state and private historic sites in our area.

We had a remarkably successful first term in the legislature. Among the highlights: The signing of historic Lyme Legislation that will protect our families, friends and neighbors struggling with tick-borne diseases and the caring doctors who treat them; Bringing back $3.5 million dollars in state funds to allow for the repeal of last year’s onerous energy tax in Dutchess County; Passing legislation to make Wappinger Creek, and the towns along this important waterway, eligible for Federal funds.

Equally important, we have fought alongside our towns, neighbors and the Hudson Valley Smart Energy Coalition for more than a year to stop the threat of monster power lines destroying our viewsheds, farms, communities and tourism economy. While we are not yet out of the woods on this misguided Energy Highway, there is increasing evidence from actions by the PSC and the Governor’s office that the proposal is being re-thought. I believe it was a very good sign that the Governor announced $20 million specifically for farmland preservation in the Hudson Valley in his budget address last week, with a shout out to the Hudson Valley as a “gem.”

Our small but mighty team also organized and hosted several important forums in the district this past term which brought together policy experts, stakeholders, community members and county leaders from both Dutchess and Columbia Counties to brainstorm on topics ranging from Mental Health to Energy Use to Aging as a Women’s Issue. For Women’s History Month we produced a booklet that told the stories of ten remarkable Hudson Valley women from the 18th to the 21st Century and shared them with libraries throughout the district. We are currently working on this year’s booklet, so please feel free to let us know if you have any suggestions.

When I look ahead to the next two years the two words that keep coming to mind are stewardship and sustainability. Stewardship of the spectacular resources that surround us here in the Hudson Valley and ensuring that we move forward with a future that is sustainable both environmentally and economically, protecting the things we love about our region while nurturing them to be the economic drivers we know they can be.

Essential to this is ensuring we have the good-paying jobs to keep our hard-working families in the region, that we work to attract students who come to college in the Hudson Valley to stay here after they graduate and that we encourage young people who go away for school or to “see the world” come back here to raise their families. We need to create the social norm that all the “cool kids” know this is the place to be when they are ready to start their careers and families!

I will continue to be a passionate advocate for our family farms, working to increase opportunities in agriculture for returning veterans; working to encourage diversified revenue streams for farms through farm stays and more value added products; and working to ensure that everyone understands that agriculture is a business and a key economic engine.

In our country today there is a $25 billion unmet need for “local” food. People say they are willing to spend more on local food; millennials as a cohort are particularly drawn to “artisan” products; and the majority of shoppers understand that “buying local” helps the local economy, which they want to support. And, while other states are struggling with water shortages, farming in our state and region is viewed in some circles as a hedge against climate change.

In the Hudson Valley, agriculture has driven growth in tourism, food production and the farm to table restaurant boom, as well as small businesses that have cropped up to serve these sectors. In Columbia County we are seeing efforts to expand goat farming, spurred by a large French chevre company and throughout the valley we are seeing historic crops like hops and other grains being re-planted to address the state’s incentives for craft breweries, distilleries and cideries.

Our office will continue to look to ways to support the municipalities and school districts we represent, whether helping them access state funds through the Regional Economic Development Council process or fighting for relief from unfunded state mandates. As Universal Pre-Kindergarden expands upstate, we are pushing again this year to assure that this program is truly universal and that four year olds with special needs are included in the program and in the funding. This important change will improve educational and social outcomes for these kids, make it easier for their families and relieve counties of millions of dollar of unfunded mandates to pay for special needs pre-k that they have shouldered for too long.

Again, I thank you for your friendship and support. As you know our team — Nick, Kimberly, Tyrone and me — is always available to help, listen, brainstorm, chat. Whatever you need — We work for you.

I especially want to thank Julia and Nigel Widdowson and the Red Devon for hosting us today, the Honorable Joan Posner, the terrific young women of Perfect Ten and the amazing Barrettones for being part of this special afternoon.

I want to thank all of your for making time on a winter Sunday to be part of this historic and solemn oath to serve you and our district. I thank you for your trust and I look forward to seeing you again soon at a Diner near you.

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Small business is indeed the backbone of our economy – in our region, state and country. Small businesses have long been our greatest job creators, our most creative innovators and the incubators for growth in new, as well as traditional, sectors.

Looking ahead to 2015, with the NFIB Small Business Optimism Index at a 7 year high, let’s see how we in the Hudson Valley can better support, grow and diversify our small business sector. This could mean shopping at a small boutique or bookstore when we run out for last minute gifts; turning to local farms, wineries, craft distilleries or caterers when planning our New Year’s parties; choosing family-run hardware stores, suppliers or pharmacies over the big box chains; or starting your own business, maybe something you have been dreaming about for years.

At the state level, we are working to support small businesses, as well. The Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council was a top performer in the state’s recent funding cycle securing $82.8 million. Together with the Capital Region Council, a total of $140 million was awarded to our region. A chunk of that will support small business projects in Dutchess and Columbia counties, including $1 million toward creation of a revolving loan fund to be managed by Community Capital, the SBA certified micro-lender for the Hudson Valley.

In the 2014-15 state budget, we created a new Minority and Women Owned Business Investment Fund and Lending Program to provide critical financial support for new and emerging ideas and to promote long-term financial performance and success of MWBE start-ups. We are also working to offer more opportunities to our veterans through initiatives like the veteran’s entrepreneurial assistance program.

For those who want to explore launching that small business they’ve always dreamed about, there are some excellent resources here in the Hudson Valley:

The Women’s Enterprise Development Center (WEDC) has a Hudson Valley location at the state-of-the-art Hancock Center at Marist College and they offer seminars on entrepreneurship – from “first steps” to a 60 hour comprehensive course — as well as peer support, access to capital, social media training, veteran’s programs and networking opportunities. They can be reached at WEDC-MHV@wedcbiz.org or by calling 845-575-3438.

The Mid-Hudson Small Business Development Center (SBDC) offers free counseling and a wide range of training to small-business owners, including guidance on how businesses can lower their energy costs. They are particularly focused now on educating businesses about preparation and recovery in case of natural disasters like storms or floods. Interested businesses can contact the SBDC at 845-339-0025, by email at sbdc@sunyulster.edu or online at mid-hudson.nyssbdc.org.

In addition, Empire State Development oversees the Business Mentor NY program, which connects entrepreneurs with experienced business experts in a mentorship relationship. For more on this program please visit: http://businessmentor.ny.gov/.

As always, if you have questions or any other community issues, please feel free to contact my office at 845-454-1703 or by email at BarrettD@assembly.state.ny.us.